1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for using novel bone cements and bone cement substitute kits.
2. Background
There is a clinical need to fill defects in vertebra, such as for patients suffering from severe back pain caused by osteoporosis, metastatic tumours or back injuries. Currently, these defects can be repaired by using bone cements that can be molded and subsequently cured via a chemical reaction.
The most widely used bone cements are based on polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) and hydroxyapatite. These have good strength characteristics but also have a number of drawbacks. These cement systems are a two-part thermosetting polymer that have approximately five to ten minutes of working time once the components are mixed. As for example with the PMMA based system, one of the components is a liquid monomer, methylmethacrylate, which is noxious and toxic to tissues. The other component, the polymer component, is a powder that can be difficult to mix thoroughly. Moreover, the viscosity of the cement constantly increases after mixing and may require very high pressures to inject the cement into the vertebra especially near the end of the cement's working time and/or a large bore needle may be necessary for the injection.
Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for a bone cement which has ease of handling, including flexible working times with suitable injection-ability into a vertebra before setting up and becoming a solid.